FAQ: Filing Complaints Alleging Discrimination or Harassment

Staff employees may initiate a complaint alleging discrimination and/or harassment based on one or more of the protected groups or status covered by University policy, through either their respective personnel program policies or collective bargaining unit grievance procedures, or through the Staff Diversity and AA/EEO Compliance Office (SD&C) informal complaint process. To learn about protected groups or access the UC Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy, please click on the appropriate link to the right. To access campus grievance procedures click on How to File a Complaint or Grievance link in Related Information.

Employees may also elect to file a discrimination/harassment complaint with a State or Federal agency. If you are interested in filing a complaint with an agency you will need to contact the agency directly to inquire about agency complaint filing procedures and your options and protections under state or federal law. Click on the EEO/AA Agency Listing link in Related Information for a listing of agencies.

An EEO Complaint is a discrimination/harassment claim filed with the Staff Diversity and AA/EEO Compliance Office (SD&C) in which an employee, applicant, or group reports an alleged action(s) of discrimination/harassment and identifies the person who took the action. Employees can also file an EEO Complaint with a State or Federal agency (see question 1).

A complaint or a grievance is a written complaint by an individual employee, a group of employees, or a union (on behalf of an employee) that the University has violated a specific provision of a collective bargaining agreement or a personnel policy.

f an employee is referred to or seeks assistance directly from the SD&C, the complaint will be processed by using the SAAO informal complaint procedures. The SD&C will attempt early resolution of the complaint as expeditiously and informally as possible. When appropriate, the SD&C will conduct a full and impartial investigation to determine if University nondiscrimination employment policies have been violated. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, a report of findings is forwarded to the appropriate campus official for review and action, when warranted.

If an employee elects to file a formal grievance under their personnel program or collective bargaining agreement, the complaint will be processed under the terms of those policies or collective bargaining agreements. Grievances are processed by the Employee Relations/Labor Relations unit in Campus or Healthcare Human Resources. For more information regarding Campus grievance procedures, click on the appropriate link located to the right.

The SAAO will respond to anonymous EEO Complaints or complaints brought by third parties not directly involved in the alleged discrimination or harassment, to the greatest extent possible. However, the response to such reports may be limited if information contained in the complaint cannot be verified by independent facts.

Your privacy during the SD&C informal complaint process will be protected to the extent required by law and University policy. However, absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed once a complaint is made or unlawful behavior is made known. The SD&C will communicate with those individuals who we believe are absolutely necessary to the resolution process. University policy regarding access to public records and disclosure of personal information may require disclosure of records. In such cases, every effort will be made to redact the records in order to protect the privacy of individuals, in accordance with University policy.

Yes. You are allowed a reasonable amount of paid work time to participate in hearings, meetings or other activities to resolve a complaint. Your participation during such activities will be counted as time worked. Questions about using paid release time should be directed to the Campus or Healthcare Employee Relations Office.

Employees are encouraged to try to resolve issues directly with their supervisors or within their department management. However, if you are uncomfortable discussing your discrimination/harassment complaint with your supervisor or department management, you may contact the Staff Affirmative Action Office directly. There are also other resources on campus available to assist you. Click on the Discrimination and Harassment Resource link in Related Information to access these resources.

Yes. Print out and complete the Discrimination/Harassment Complaint Form located in Related Information. Once it is completed, fax it to the Staff Diversity and AA/EEO Compliance Office at 310.794.2800 or mail it to the Staff Diversity and AA/EEO Compliance Office, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1050, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. We will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.

If you want to file a formal grievance, click on How to file a Complaint or Grievance link in Related Information.

The University prohibits retaliation against individuals who file complaints or participate in the complaint resolution process. If you believe that you have been retaliated against for filing an EEO Complaint or grievance, please contact the Staff Diversity and AA/EEO Compliance Office or the Campus or Healthcare Employee and Labor Relations Office. Retaliation complaints will be investigated and the findings will be reported to the appropriate UCLA personnel for review and action. For additional information on retaliation, click on the Retaliation link in Related Information.

If you choose to initially file a complaint with the SAAO and it is not resolved to your satisfaction, or if you wish to discontinue using the SD&C procedures, you may still have the option to file a grievance, provided you meet the grievance filing time limits and eligibility requirements of the applicable collective bargaining agreement or personnel program.